Flavus Mbuna care guide
Flavus Mbuna (Pseudotropheus flavus) — minimum tank 250 L, temperature 24-27 °C, pH 7.8-8.6.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pseudotropheus flavus is a Malawi mbuna with a slim build and a pattern of dark vertical bars on a yellow ground in males; females are paler and less strongly barred. Adults reach about 11 cm and the species is locally restricted to a small section of the lake shore.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Pseudotropheus
- Scientific name: Pseudotropheus flavus
- Common synonyms: Chindongo flavus
Habitat
Endemic to the rocky shore (mbuna zone) of Lake Malawi in the African Rift Valley, where it lives over wave-washed boulder slopes. The lake is exceptionally hard and alkaline — pH 7.8-8.6, KH 6-15 — and warm year round. The species is highly site-attached and territorial males defend small rock caves.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 250 L (66 US gal)
- Adult size: 9-11 cm
- Temperature: 24-27 °C (75-81 °F)
- pH: 7.8-8.6
- GH: 10-20 °dGH
- Water flow: medium
- Lifespan: 5-8 years
Diet
In the wild it grazes the aufwuchs layer of algae, biofilm and associated micro-invertebrates that coats the rocks. In aquaria a vegetable-rich diet of spirulina and algae-based cichlid pellets, blanched vegetables and occasional frozen brine shrimp is appropriate; high-protein foods such as bloodworm should be avoided to prevent "Malawi bloat".
Compatibility
Aggressive and territorial; best kept in a large mbuna community with several other rock-dwelling species so that aggression is dispersed. A typical stocking is one male to several females (1:3-4). Avoid mixing with very different lake faunas (e.g., New World cichlids) and with similar-coloured congeners that may hybridise.
Breeding
A polygamous maternal mouthbrooder. The male defends a small rock territory, displays to passing females and entices each to spawn on a flat surface; the female collects the eggs into her mouth immediately and incubates them for about three weeks before releasing free-swimming fry.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: see species page. The Lake Malawi cichlid radiation has been intensively assessed; most mbuna are evaluated and many are categorised Least Concern, though species with restricted ranges along single sub-shores are more vulnerable.
Flavus Mbuna (Pseudotropheus flavus) Breeding Guide
Overview
Pseudotropheus flavus is a small yellow-banded mbuna endemic to Lake Malawi, recorded exclusively at Chinyankwazi Island and Chinyamwezi Reef, and reaching about 9 cm. It is a maternal mouthbrooder and a relatively manageable mbuna to spawn.
Sexing
Males are far more colourful than females, showing brighter colour and the subtle blue that dominant fish develop, while females stay plainer with the species' yellow body and black vertical bars. Because the colour difference is one of intensity rather than a wholly different pattern, sexing is most reliable once a dominant male has fully coloured up. As with related species, a holding female is identified by her bulging mouth and refusal to feed.
Conditioning
Condition the group on a high-quality diet composed mainly of vegetable matter, suited to this largely herbivorous mbuna. Maintain alkaline water at a pH around 8.2-8.5 and a temperature of about 25-27 degrees Celsius (77-80 degrees Fahrenheit).
Breeding Setup
An aquarium of around 90 cm (a 36-inch tank) with flat stones and areas of open substrate provides spawning sites. Keep a harem of one male and at least three females.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The male displays around his chosen spawning site to court the females. The female picks up her eggs immediately after laying and receives milt from the male's egg-spotted anal fin, so that fertilisation is completed inside her mouth in the manner typical of Lake Malawi mouthbrooders.
Egg & Fry Care
The female carries the eggs for around three to four weeks before releasing the free-swimming fry, refusing food throughout the holding period. The released fry are large enough to take brine shrimp nauplii, microworm and powdered dried foods from birth, and in a matured tank they will also browse on algae.
Common Challenges
Holding females must be left undisturbed to avoid premature release of the brood, and because the species is recorded only from the restricted localities of Chinyankwazi Island and Chinyamwezi Reef, captive-bred stock should be kept genetically clean. To produce pure fry, keep only this Chindongo-type species in the tank rather than mixing it with other similar yellow-banded mbuna, which would risk hybridisation and the loss of the line's identity.